Yup, J-Boy has successfully lifted off of his bum and is now crawling!!
It started out as a slow crawl, but he gets faster every day, and yes, he is now trying to get into everything!
I mean, why play with your toys when you can crawl over and chew on your sister’s shoe??
He is the earliest crawler out of all three of our kiddos, so I’m not sure what this means for walking….
I do know that if that boy is awake, he is on the go, and so is Mom!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
I Will Make Them Read This Post Out-Loud…
When they are teenagers, K-Bug and Lorelin will undoubtedly have their sisterly “moments” when they would rather not be the bestest of friends.
It is at this time that I will pull out this post and have them read “OUT-LOUD” (oh yes, I will!!) to each other their words of sweetness and kindness recorded here for all of time and history.
At nighttime, after we have said our evening prayers, we go around the girls bedroom and each say what we are thankful for.
Here is what Lorelin said the other night – “I’m thankful for my sister K-Bug. She is my very best friend and I love her!”
K-Bug sweetly acquiesced to that comment with “I know.” (hee, hee)
However, then she got out of her bed, went over to Lorelin’s bed, and pulled her sissy into a great big hug and said, “You’re my best friend too Lorelin.”
AWWWWWW……….it was so awesome!!!
And so, yes, my dear sweet daughters, I deeply pray that you will ALWAYS be the best of friends. And when you are not, I will make sure you read these words out loud to each other.
P.S. Other sweet things they have said they are thankful for –
K-Bug – “I am thankful for my Daddy playing with me. He is so fun!”
Lorelin – “I am thankful for hugging my Mommy!”
K-Bug – “I am thankful for dancing and cats”
Lorelin – “I am thankful for my Grandad and playing in his car.”
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
J-Boy - Seventh Month Update
Seeing as how I have completely skipped over his six month update (and how time still marches on), I just wanted to give everyone the update on our not-so-little boy.
At his six month appointment, J-Boy weighed in at 19 pounds, which my pediatrician told me that that is the weight of the average eleventh month old that she sees.
“He’s a big boy!” she told me in her wonderful, lilting Nigerian accent.
He is indeed a big, happy boy. He is not yet crawling on his own, but will get up on his hands and knees and rock back and forth. He will also scoot himself backwards halfway across the room, which ends up with his being VERY frustrated that he is getting farther away from his toys (or the cat, or a book, or whatever) instead of getting closer.
He now has two pearlie white chompers on his bottom gum, and can use said chompers to gnaw and chew on his favorite snack – Puffs! Fruit puffs, veggie puffs – any kind will do – as long as he can keep them going in his mouth!
What is it about boys and food anyway?? :)
J-Boy has also started to use his little lips and mouth for various sounds like “Ma, Ma, Ma”, “Da,Da, Da” – he also likes to make couging noises (which always make me check to make sure he’s not actually choking), and guttural sounds in his throat that make him sound like a dinosaur.
What is it about boys and dinosaurs anyway?? :)
Speaking of dinosaurs, his favorite security item for sleeping is a big, stuffed alligator. He reaches for it when you lay him in his crib. Here he is all cuddled up to Mr. Alligator……
Awwwww……I just want to eat him up, he's SOOO cute!!!!!!!!!!!
Here are a few other seven month shots:
J-BOY IN THE TUB (don't worry - both of us parents were very close by)
WHY WON'T THIS HORSE GO ANYWHERE?? (at the Phoenix Zoo)
HANGING OUT WITH GRANDAD (he can hold his upper body straight just like you see in this pic for a looong time..so strong!)
At his six month appointment, J-Boy weighed in at 19 pounds, which my pediatrician told me that that is the weight of the average eleventh month old that she sees.
“He’s a big boy!” she told me in her wonderful, lilting Nigerian accent.
He is indeed a big, happy boy. He is not yet crawling on his own, but will get up on his hands and knees and rock back and forth. He will also scoot himself backwards halfway across the room, which ends up with his being VERY frustrated that he is getting farther away from his toys (or the cat, or a book, or whatever) instead of getting closer.
He now has two pearlie white chompers on his bottom gum, and can use said chompers to gnaw and chew on his favorite snack – Puffs! Fruit puffs, veggie puffs – any kind will do – as long as he can keep them going in his mouth!
What is it about boys and food anyway?? :)
J-Boy has also started to use his little lips and mouth for various sounds like “Ma, Ma, Ma”, “Da,Da, Da” – he also likes to make couging noises (which always make me check to make sure he’s not actually choking), and guttural sounds in his throat that make him sound like a dinosaur.
What is it about boys and dinosaurs anyway?? :)
Speaking of dinosaurs, his favorite security item for sleeping is a big, stuffed alligator. He reaches for it when you lay him in his crib. Here he is all cuddled up to Mr. Alligator……
Awwwww……I just want to eat him up, he's SOOO cute!!!!!!!!!!!
Here are a few other seven month shots:
J-BOY IN THE TUB (don't worry - both of us parents were very close by)
WHY WON'T THIS HORSE GO ANYWHERE?? (at the Phoenix Zoo)
HANGING OUT WITH GRANDAD (he can hold his upper body straight just like you see in this pic for a looong time..so strong!)
Surrender
I’m always at a vulnerable place when I’m sick (aren’t we all?)
I tend to cry more easily, and I actually have some amount of time to be “on my back” and think and pray about life.
So what did God show me in three days of illness and no food?? (last Friday was the first day that I was able to eat three square meals…it was pure WONDERFUL-NESS!!!)
He showed me some things that I’ve been holding on to, clinging to even – trying to make them fufill me.
And through all of my reading and praying, He spoke a beautiful and wonderful word to my heart.
“Surrender”
“OK, Lord”
Make The Yuckies Stop
So this entire past week has felt like a wash. About halfway through my morning at work on Tuesday (I teach music at a preschool one day a week), I started feeling sick to my stomach and having REALLY horrible stomach cramps.
I managed to make it through my morning and headed home to take a nap when the kiddos went down. By the time I woke up though, it was sure and certain that this was a virus that was not going to go anywhere.
My hubby spent the rest of the evening earning his “I’m-a-saint-of-a-husband-and-father” merit badge as he simultaneously took care of the kids AND me. I spent a lot of time becoming very familiar with all of the porclein in the bathroom. To cap off the evening, Lorelin started to run a mild fever and complain of yup… a tummy ache.
By the next morning, I was still in the grips of yuckiness, although now I had to also deal with my sick child (who had diarrhea all day and then threw up all evening), and my well children too (who I really wanted to stay that way).
Again, my husband was so incredible and pitched in and helped out however he could… thanks honey….I TRULY don’t know what I would have done without you. Thanks also to my parents, who helped with the healthy children when and where they could (and also made a late night trip to CVS pharmacy for Pedialtye!)
At one point on Wednesday evening, right after Miss Lorelin had thrown up what seemed to be everything she-ever-ate, and was dry heaving in the bathroom, she looked at me with the most pitiful face and said those words that would twist any Mommy’s heart –
“You’re de Mom…..”
“Yes, I’m the Mom, sweetie”
“Make the yuckies stop!”
Sweet peaches, how I WANTED to make the yuckies stop right then and there, but mother and daughter limped through the evening together.
Thankfully, we are all on the well-and-good list today, although a little drained from our bodies dealing with illness.
I managed to make it through my morning and headed home to take a nap when the kiddos went down. By the time I woke up though, it was sure and certain that this was a virus that was not going to go anywhere.
My hubby spent the rest of the evening earning his “I’m-a-saint-of-a-husband-and-father” merit badge as he simultaneously took care of the kids AND me. I spent a lot of time becoming very familiar with all of the porclein in the bathroom. To cap off the evening, Lorelin started to run a mild fever and complain of yup… a tummy ache.
By the next morning, I was still in the grips of yuckiness, although now I had to also deal with my sick child (who had diarrhea all day and then threw up all evening), and my well children too (who I really wanted to stay that way).
Again, my husband was so incredible and pitched in and helped out however he could… thanks honey….I TRULY don’t know what I would have done without you. Thanks also to my parents, who helped with the healthy children when and where they could (and also made a late night trip to CVS pharmacy for Pedialtye!)
At one point on Wednesday evening, right after Miss Lorelin had thrown up what seemed to be everything she-ever-ate, and was dry heaving in the bathroom, she looked at me with the most pitiful face and said those words that would twist any Mommy’s heart –
“You’re de Mom…..”
“Yes, I’m the Mom, sweetie”
“Make the yuckies stop!”
Sweet peaches, how I WANTED to make the yuckies stop right then and there, but mother and daughter limped through the evening together.
Thankfully, we are all on the well-and-good list today, although a little drained from our bodies dealing with illness.
Friday, October 10, 2008
New Finds...
Hey there...I love it when my friends share new products or things they love with me. So, I just wanted to share a new blog that I found that I love! :) Simple Mom may sound like SuperMom, but I'm sure she has her own share of prayer requests!
She doesn't share a lot on her public site, but I think that she and her husband are somehow involved with missions in a country that she can't mention openly.
Anyhoo...her site is fabulous and has tons of great information and organizationanal ideas! Check it out...
She doesn't share a lot on her public site, but I think that she and her husband are somehow involved with missions in a country that she can't mention openly.
Anyhoo...her site is fabulous and has tons of great information and organizationanal ideas! Check it out...
A Date For Tonight....
Tonight my dear hubby is going out with his Mom, sister, and aunts to a Neil Diamond concert (his Mom bought him the ticket as a gift). :) She actually offered to let me go too, but I'm not even really that familiar with Neil Diamond or his music, so I opted to stay home and be with the kiddos. :)
I am praying for a quiet night, kiddos that go to bed on time, and a nice, long stretch of time in which to blog my heart out.
Lots of silly, serious, and fun stuff to share! :)
I am praying for a quiet night, kiddos that go to bed on time, and a nice, long stretch of time in which to blog my heart out.
Lots of silly, serious, and fun stuff to share! :)
Thursday, October 02, 2008
The Great Debate Of '08
Ok, ok….so I have completely resisted posting about politics, even though I am a self-avowed conservative political talk-show junkie…..
My favorites are Dennis Prager, Laura Ingraham, and Hugh Hewitt (for those of you who aren’t altogether political, Dennis Prager is a GREAT listen…he talks about everything in life)
This year though, I am……weary…..
Weary I think partly due to the fact that I have three children under the age of five (which leaves me with a LOT less energy to devote to politics), but also weary of the media circus that has surrounded this current election.
For the record, I am a HUGE Sarah Palin fan.
I think that the attacks against her and her family have been vile and insidious. Not that I think that Barak Obama’s family deserves any smears either, but I am mildly disgusted by the almost “worship” of Barak as a person.
I have had to handle ALL of my politics this year in small chunks…here a little…there a little….
I voted originally for Mit Romney (after a lot of debate within myself), and McCain was far and away my LAST choice. But, as I mentioned above, I truly respect Sarah Palin and feel I can vote for McCain/Palin if only because she is on the ticket (I’m sure many echo my sentiments).
There is so much more I could say in detail about what I think and feel politically. I have voted proudly since the time I was eighteen, and can see myself getting more involved in the realm of politics (especially in the defense of life) in my older years.
To sum up, I would say this: to those out there who are also weary of this season of politics, even for those who might HATE politics…don’t lose heart.
God is still in control, even when the rest of the world thinks the sky is falling, and no matter how dark this world may be, we as Christians can stand for what God’s word says is right and true, in whatever way He calls us to do that.
Thank you, Lord, for being the God over all….my heart finds rest in You
My favorites are Dennis Prager, Laura Ingraham, and Hugh Hewitt (for those of you who aren’t altogether political, Dennis Prager is a GREAT listen…he talks about everything in life)
This year though, I am……weary…..
Weary I think partly due to the fact that I have three children under the age of five (which leaves me with a LOT less energy to devote to politics), but also weary of the media circus that has surrounded this current election.
For the record, I am a HUGE Sarah Palin fan.
I think that the attacks against her and her family have been vile and insidious. Not that I think that Barak Obama’s family deserves any smears either, but I am mildly disgusted by the almost “worship” of Barak as a person.
I have had to handle ALL of my politics this year in small chunks…here a little…there a little….
I voted originally for Mit Romney (after a lot of debate within myself), and McCain was far and away my LAST choice. But, as I mentioned above, I truly respect Sarah Palin and feel I can vote for McCain/Palin if only because she is on the ticket (I’m sure many echo my sentiments).
There is so much more I could say in detail about what I think and feel politically. I have voted proudly since the time I was eighteen, and can see myself getting more involved in the realm of politics (especially in the defense of life) in my older years.
To sum up, I would say this: to those out there who are also weary of this season of politics, even for those who might HATE politics…don’t lose heart.
God is still in control, even when the rest of the world thinks the sky is falling, and no matter how dark this world may be, we as Christians can stand for what God’s word says is right and true, in whatever way He calls us to do that.
Thank you, Lord, for being the God over all….my heart finds rest in You
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Is This For REALS?? :)
A friend of my hubby sent this to him a few days ago, and we love it! :) Words can't express - you just have to experience it for yourself...so go ahead...
My favorite part?
"ZAP!"
My favorite part?
"ZAP!"
Thursday, September 18, 2008
I'm Still Here....I've Just Been....
1. Changing LOTS of poopy diapers - J-Boy is a very healthy eater - and pooper!! :) I'm glad his system works so well, but I am very busy keeping his pants clean.
2. Feeding Children - If I'm not feeding my girlies breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks, I am feeding J-Boy a bottle or baby food. I have a new appreciation for not only what my own Mom did over the years, but also those Mommies who have even more mouths to feed at one time than I do. Go Moms!
3. Getting Back Outside - Slowly, but surely, the weather is changing here. That means we've started to get back outside in the mornings to let the girlies ride their tricyles (and K-Bug has a new/used bicylce with training wheels) and going for walks in the evenings after dinner. J-Boy LOVES to be outside in his stroller - it really helps when he is being fussy in the evenings. In a few weeks, the girlies, J-Boy and I will all start to go the park on at least a weekly basis to spend some extended time outdoors with friends. I am SOO thankful! I feel like we all deserve a T-shirt or other memento that says "We survived ANOTHER Phoenix summer!"
4. Holding/Rocking A Teething Baby - J-Boy's FIRST tooth finally popped thru the gum on the bottom, and he doesn't seem to be too thrilled about it! He's got another on the way, and the poor kiddo has been uncomfortable and a little a fussy. I do have some great natural teething tablets (thanks Coral!)as well as cold teething rings...they do help some. :) In the meantime, we hope for the teethies to come quickly...
5. Fighting Headaches & Dealing with Allergies....The headaches have been mine. I've had a few in the last week or so. They are a combination of sinus pain and migraine throbbing. YUCK!! The allergies I've had to deal with haven't been my own - my dear hubbies allergies have flared on him in the last few weeks as well - poor guy!!! He's been absolutley miserable - sneezing until his eyes are puffy and his nose is swollen. He hasn't really had to deal with serious allergies for at least a few years, so this spell of ickies caught him totally off-guard.
6. Starting the girlies in a dance/gmynastics class - My generous mom-in-law gave us a gift to help the girlies get started in a dance/gymnastics class that meets once a week. At this point, it's only four weeks long. After that time, we should be able to determine if we will continue with this combined gym and dance class or just switch to gymnastics. We had our first class this week, and both K-Bug and Lorelin had a LOT of fun! I took the camera, but the pictures were really lousy...Sorry :(
7. Playing with my parent's new puppy... TODAY my parents picked up their new puppy - a seven week old female chocolate labrador that they named Moxy (it means "smart") She is a TOTAL cutie, and the girls just LOVED playing with her....and she loved playing with them. They wore each other out - my girlies are fast asleep, and I know that Moxy is probably sleeping away on her new special doggie pillow. It will be lots of fun for the girls (and the rest of us) to watch this puppy grow - and my parents are the ones who get to feed and clean up after it! We all win!
8. Signing Up For The Gym...yup, I did it. I signed up for a gym that will open in just a few weeks. It's called Fitness Works. For $25 a month, I get access to the gym as well as free reign to choose from over 80 different aerobics classes. I haven't really told a lot of people about this, because I know that the proof is when I start going to the gym, but I am READY!!!
9. Sleeping & Reading.... I do try to get some sleep at night, although I continue to be a night owl, and I've been trying to keep up with my Bible reading, as well as a few other books. I've also been trying to pray each night with my dear hubby....
Well, that's a little bit of what's going on for us Smiths....I pray that all is going well with YOU!
2. Feeding Children - If I'm not feeding my girlies breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks, I am feeding J-Boy a bottle or baby food. I have a new appreciation for not only what my own Mom did over the years, but also those Mommies who have even more mouths to feed at one time than I do. Go Moms!
3. Getting Back Outside - Slowly, but surely, the weather is changing here. That means we've started to get back outside in the mornings to let the girlies ride their tricyles (and K-Bug has a new/used bicylce with training wheels) and going for walks in the evenings after dinner. J-Boy LOVES to be outside in his stroller - it really helps when he is being fussy in the evenings. In a few weeks, the girlies, J-Boy and I will all start to go the park on at least a weekly basis to spend some extended time outdoors with friends. I am SOO thankful! I feel like we all deserve a T-shirt or other memento that says "We survived ANOTHER Phoenix summer!"
4. Holding/Rocking A Teething Baby - J-Boy's FIRST tooth finally popped thru the gum on the bottom, and he doesn't seem to be too thrilled about it! He's got another on the way, and the poor kiddo has been uncomfortable and a little a fussy. I do have some great natural teething tablets (thanks Coral!)as well as cold teething rings...they do help some. :) In the meantime, we hope for the teethies to come quickly...
5. Fighting Headaches & Dealing with Allergies....The headaches have been mine. I've had a few in the last week or so. They are a combination of sinus pain and migraine throbbing. YUCK!! The allergies I've had to deal with haven't been my own - my dear hubbies allergies have flared on him in the last few weeks as well - poor guy!!! He's been absolutley miserable - sneezing until his eyes are puffy and his nose is swollen. He hasn't really had to deal with serious allergies for at least a few years, so this spell of ickies caught him totally off-guard.
6. Starting the girlies in a dance/gmynastics class - My generous mom-in-law gave us a gift to help the girlies get started in a dance/gymnastics class that meets once a week. At this point, it's only four weeks long. After that time, we should be able to determine if we will continue with this combined gym and dance class or just switch to gymnastics. We had our first class this week, and both K-Bug and Lorelin had a LOT of fun! I took the camera, but the pictures were really lousy...Sorry :(
7. Playing with my parent's new puppy... TODAY my parents picked up their new puppy - a seven week old female chocolate labrador that they named Moxy (it means "smart") She is a TOTAL cutie, and the girls just LOVED playing with her....and she loved playing with them. They wore each other out - my girlies are fast asleep, and I know that Moxy is probably sleeping away on her new special doggie pillow. It will be lots of fun for the girls (and the rest of us) to watch this puppy grow - and my parents are the ones who get to feed and clean up after it! We all win!
8. Signing Up For The Gym...yup, I did it. I signed up for a gym that will open in just a few weeks. It's called Fitness Works. For $25 a month, I get access to the gym as well as free reign to choose from over 80 different aerobics classes. I haven't really told a lot of people about this, because I know that the proof is when I start going to the gym, but I am READY!!!
9. Sleeping & Reading.... I do try to get some sleep at night, although I continue to be a night owl, and I've been trying to keep up with my Bible reading, as well as a few other books. I've also been trying to pray each night with my dear hubby....
Well, that's a little bit of what's going on for us Smiths....I pray that all is going well with YOU!
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Look Ma - No Hands!!
I haven't gotten around to writing J-Boy's six month update yet, but here is our BIG boy proudly showing off his newest accomplishment! SITTING UP!!
He's been sitting up for a few weeks now, but he's always needed his hands propped in front of him, and if he tried to turn his head or shift his weight, he'd fall over like a tiny sack of taters'. :)
But not anymore.....
LOOK AT ME!!
He's even gotten to the point that he can "correct" himself when he gets off-balance. He can also lean over to grab things and then pull himself back up.
Sometimes he still falls....
Then he smiles a cute smile for the camera about 20 seconds before he starts scooting around on the floor like a mad-man on a mission. A crawling mission that is! This boy is bound and determined to go places - I wouldn't be surprised if he starts crawling very soon. Then it's watch out world - and Mommy too!
When he's not sitting around looking cute, J-Boy can be found in his exer-saucer twirling, jumping, and chewing away. :)
Go, big boy, go!!!
He's been sitting up for a few weeks now, but he's always needed his hands propped in front of him, and if he tried to turn his head or shift his weight, he'd fall over like a tiny sack of taters'. :)
But not anymore.....
LOOK AT ME!!
He's even gotten to the point that he can "correct" himself when he gets off-balance. He can also lean over to grab things and then pull himself back up.
Sometimes he still falls....
Then he smiles a cute smile for the camera about 20 seconds before he starts scooting around on the floor like a mad-man on a mission. A crawling mission that is! This boy is bound and determined to go places - I wouldn't be surprised if he starts crawling very soon. Then it's watch out world - and Mommy too!
When he's not sitting around looking cute, J-Boy can be found in his exer-saucer twirling, jumping, and chewing away. :)
Go, big boy, go!!!
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Our Trip - Unpacked
I was reading back over my posts about our trip. They are a snapshot of what happened - a verbal scrapbook, with a few pictures put in. However, I didn't really elaborate on many thoughts or feelings about the trip.So, in a what I hope to be a shorter post, I'll share a little of my true heart.
Here is what I remember about -
THE PAST: When we went to Norman to visit in 2007, my dear hubby and I both fell in love with this charming town. The college-feel, the friendly people, the weather (yes, even the tornadoes!), and the land.
Both my hubby and I can recall a very vivid moment that we had inside the Oklahoma City airport from that first visit. We were sitting and reflecting on that first visit getting ready to fly back to Phoenix. We both looked out over the expanse of land and sky there in the giant windows of the airport, and together prayed that God would show us whether or not He wanted us to move to Norman. We came home from that first trip, and through MUCH prayer, believed that God told us "Not yet". We both believed that He wanted us to accept the offer to help our friends as they started a new church plant. So, we said, "Not now" to Norman, and "Yes" to God and our friends.
As it turns out, my sis and her dear hubby decided to move away from Norman. I decided that God must have changed His answer to a "No", and in my heart silently bid a farewell to Oklahoma.
Here is what I know about -
THE PRESENT: Fast foward to today. The church plant will celebrate the anniversary of our first service in just two short weeks. My dear hubby has led worship for this great little church, and I have grown incredible amounts in my own faith as it relates to obedience to Christ. My parents have been "waiting" around the Phoenix area, hoping that we might want to move with them....somwhere close to them so that they can continue to have their special, close relationships with their grandkids. My parents have been looking at the East Texas area, most espcially because my Meemaw (and other family) are there - and my Meemaw may need assistance as she gets older. However, my dear hubby had never been to East Texas, and I hadn't been in at least ten years. So, we planned a trip that would double as a vacation and scouting mission to see if East Texas is a place we'd consider moving to. The plane tickets were bought, and we sat down with a map of Texas. However, as we kept talking and praying, God seemed to bring Norman back to our minds and hearts. "That's silly.." we told ourselves. However, again and again both my hubby and myself felt it laid on our hearts that we were to return there.
Many a night we prayed, "Lord, what in the world are we supposed to do once we get there? Drive around? Jump up and down? Say 'Hey-howdy-hey' to Joe Brown?" (okay, so maybe our prayers didn't all rhyme quite like that... :)
So one night we just said, "Yes". And even though we still had NO idea what to do when we got to Norman, we both had immediate peace that we were being obedient.
We worked Norman into the plan, called my sis and her hubby to help us find a place to stay, and mapped out our route from Dallas on up to Oklahoma.
If you want to read (or re-read about) what we actually did there in Oklahoma - head back to Day 1 or Day 2 of the trip. Our time in Okalahoma was very God-centered. We both wanted to stay, although we knew that we needed to head to our visits in Texas. And driving dwon from Oklahoma to Texas, both my hubby and I believed that God just might be up to something in Norman, Oklahoma that involved us.We returned from the trip, and sat down one evening for a candid conversation with my parents. They surprised ME by saying that they still thought that Norman was a wonderful place, and they were still thinking of moving there themselves.
Hmm....
What I am praying about -
THE FUTURE: So where does that leave us? I don't like saying this, but I still don't altogther know. It hasn't been easy to think about leaving Phoenix. In many ways I am very comfortable here - I have the best friends of my life, and my hubby's family are all around. The housing market stinks in Phoenix right now, and selling our house (not to mention making any kind of profit) seems rather unlikely. My sis and her hubby are not wanting to make a return to Norman for many reasons, and although she is supportive of whatever we decide, she's dissapointed (as am I) that we might not be a close together in miles as we would have wanted (although I AM praying about Austin, just like I said I would!)
Most of my hubby's family are upset of the thought of us leaving, and many of my friends can't understand anyone's draw to a place that regularly hosts tornadoes.
I can only tell you this - it would be by God, for God, and about God if we moved.
My job is to commit myself into God's hands, and to draw near to Him.
We are activley asking God about what's next for the Smiths, and praying about a possible move within the next year.
God knows what the future holds.
So, for now, that's enough for me.
Here is what I remember about -
THE PAST: When we went to Norman to visit in 2007, my dear hubby and I both fell in love with this charming town. The college-feel, the friendly people, the weather (yes, even the tornadoes!), and the land.
Both my hubby and I can recall a very vivid moment that we had inside the Oklahoma City airport from that first visit. We were sitting and reflecting on that first visit getting ready to fly back to Phoenix. We both looked out over the expanse of land and sky there in the giant windows of the airport, and together prayed that God would show us whether or not He wanted us to move to Norman. We came home from that first trip, and through MUCH prayer, believed that God told us "Not yet". We both believed that He wanted us to accept the offer to help our friends as they started a new church plant. So, we said, "Not now" to Norman, and "Yes" to God and our friends.
As it turns out, my sis and her dear hubby decided to move away from Norman. I decided that God must have changed His answer to a "No", and in my heart silently bid a farewell to Oklahoma.
Here is what I know about -
THE PRESENT: Fast foward to today. The church plant will celebrate the anniversary of our first service in just two short weeks. My dear hubby has led worship for this great little church, and I have grown incredible amounts in my own faith as it relates to obedience to Christ. My parents have been "waiting" around the Phoenix area, hoping that we might want to move with them....somwhere close to them so that they can continue to have their special, close relationships with their grandkids. My parents have been looking at the East Texas area, most espcially because my Meemaw (and other family) are there - and my Meemaw may need assistance as she gets older. However, my dear hubby had never been to East Texas, and I hadn't been in at least ten years. So, we planned a trip that would double as a vacation and scouting mission to see if East Texas is a place we'd consider moving to. The plane tickets were bought, and we sat down with a map of Texas. However, as we kept talking and praying, God seemed to bring Norman back to our minds and hearts. "That's silly.." we told ourselves. However, again and again both my hubby and myself felt it laid on our hearts that we were to return there.
Many a night we prayed, "Lord, what in the world are we supposed to do once we get there? Drive around? Jump up and down? Say 'Hey-howdy-hey' to Joe Brown?" (okay, so maybe our prayers didn't all rhyme quite like that... :)
So one night we just said, "Yes". And even though we still had NO idea what to do when we got to Norman, we both had immediate peace that we were being obedient.
We worked Norman into the plan, called my sis and her hubby to help us find a place to stay, and mapped out our route from Dallas on up to Oklahoma.
If you want to read (or re-read about) what we actually did there in Oklahoma - head back to Day 1 or Day 2 of the trip. Our time in Okalahoma was very God-centered. We both wanted to stay, although we knew that we needed to head to our visits in Texas. And driving dwon from Oklahoma to Texas, both my hubby and I believed that God just might be up to something in Norman, Oklahoma that involved us.We returned from the trip, and sat down one evening for a candid conversation with my parents. They surprised ME by saying that they still thought that Norman was a wonderful place, and they were still thinking of moving there themselves.
Hmm....
What I am praying about -
THE FUTURE: So where does that leave us? I don't like saying this, but I still don't altogther know. It hasn't been easy to think about leaving Phoenix. In many ways I am very comfortable here - I have the best friends of my life, and my hubby's family are all around. The housing market stinks in Phoenix right now, and selling our house (not to mention making any kind of profit) seems rather unlikely. My sis and her hubby are not wanting to make a return to Norman for many reasons, and although she is supportive of whatever we decide, she's dissapointed (as am I) that we might not be a close together in miles as we would have wanted (although I AM praying about Austin, just like I said I would!)
Most of my hubby's family are upset of the thought of us leaving, and many of my friends can't understand anyone's draw to a place that regularly hosts tornadoes.
I can only tell you this - it would be by God, for God, and about God if we moved.
My job is to commit myself into God's hands, and to draw near to Him.
We are activley asking God about what's next for the Smiths, and praying about a possible move within the next year.
God knows what the future holds.
So, for now, that's enough for me.
Our Trip - Part 3, Days 3 &4
I'm just now finishing the write-up about our Texas/Oklahoma trip…if you stuck with me and made it this far in my rather lengthy posts then you are either my true friend, you like words as much as I do, or you’re feeling obligated to read because you’re related to me. ;)
Anyway, I’ll roll together days three and four. We spent most of Saturday visiting with my Meemaw.Here she is sititng on her beautiful patio with her "porch dress", as she called it, and her doggie Tinkerbell.
We visited a little in the morning and then went out driving.We ended up stopping at this tourist attraction that was the home of the WORLD’S LARGEST CEDAR ROCKING CHAIR. No kidding…they have the Guiness World Record plaque to prove it. It IS a big chair….I think it’s 25 feet high.
Here I am, sitting in a smaller, but still LARGE version of the same chair. I felt like such a little kid sitting in this chair.
There was a beautiful furniture store/gift shop, a BBQ restaurant, and a real working blacksmith on the property.
The furniture was made of cedar, of course, and was very beautiful. The first thing you see inside the store is this large handcrafted table that costs oh…only $10,000.
We didn’t even breathe on that table…..
My Meemaw ended up buying J-Boy a cute cowboy Teddy bear and she bought the girlies some pink fuzzy slippers that look like cowboy boots…they are SO super cute! We ate at the Smokehouse BBQ – it was out of this world good!
We went back to my Meemaw’s house and rested some before packing our bags up and saying our Goodbyes to her.
The most confusing drive of the entire trip was the one from my Meemaw’s house back to the rental car facility at the airport. We had Google Maps version of the step-by-step directions, and I am so thankful that they were all accurate! The airport in Dallas is super spread out and getting to the airport was a maze of exits and turn-offs.
We dropped off our rental car and my Uncle Petey (not really my uncle, but my godfather) came and picked us up. Ahhh!!! We could relax and let someone else take the wheel!
Once back at my godparents BEAUTIFUL home (they just completely remodeled the inside of their home and it is stunning!), we unloaded our suitcases and enjoyed a short rain-storm that blew cool winds and poured buckets of water on their already green backyard.
My Godparents spoiled us rotten – they took us to the most AMAZING Mexican food restaurant for dinner. They make homemade guacamole to your specifications right at your table…..cool, huh?
After dinner, we went back to their house, sat down and has us a good ol’ fashioned visit. We talked for the next few hours about everything under the sun – our children, our trip, what God was doing in our lives, good books, etc.
It was such a blessed time – one that, in reflection, really blessed my hubby and I immensely. It’s always good to have someone who’s gone before you speak truth and perspective into your current circumstances.
We slept well, and awoke the next morning to attend church. The pastor at their church has been preaching since I was a child, and it was so wonderful to hear him preach that morning.
After church, we went out for some pizza,where we asked a teen girl outside to snap our picture.
Then we were on to the airport. We made it to our gate with LOTS of time, and crowded into our seats with a full flight.
The ride back to Phoenix was a bit bumpy, and my hubby had a very painful stuffed eardrum, but we did make it safely, for which we are thankful. :0 As we disembarked from the plane, I turned to my hubby and told him how much I had enjoyed our time together.
With that, we turned the corner out of security, and into the waiting arms of my parents and children, who had come to greet us at the airport.
There were lots of big hugs and smiles, and lots of exclamations from K-Bug saying, “You came back! MY Mommy is back! MY Daddy is back!”
It was good to be with our children again.
Anyway, I’ll roll together days three and four. We spent most of Saturday visiting with my Meemaw.Here she is sititng on her beautiful patio with her "porch dress", as she called it, and her doggie Tinkerbell.
We visited a little in the morning and then went out driving.We ended up stopping at this tourist attraction that was the home of the WORLD’S LARGEST CEDAR ROCKING CHAIR. No kidding…they have the Guiness World Record plaque to prove it. It IS a big chair….I think it’s 25 feet high.
Here I am, sitting in a smaller, but still LARGE version of the same chair. I felt like such a little kid sitting in this chair.
There was a beautiful furniture store/gift shop, a BBQ restaurant, and a real working blacksmith on the property.
The furniture was made of cedar, of course, and was very beautiful. The first thing you see inside the store is this large handcrafted table that costs oh…only $10,000.
We didn’t even breathe on that table…..
My Meemaw ended up buying J-Boy a cute cowboy Teddy bear and she bought the girlies some pink fuzzy slippers that look like cowboy boots…they are SO super cute! We ate at the Smokehouse BBQ – it was out of this world good!
We went back to my Meemaw’s house and rested some before packing our bags up and saying our Goodbyes to her.
The most confusing drive of the entire trip was the one from my Meemaw’s house back to the rental car facility at the airport. We had Google Maps version of the step-by-step directions, and I am so thankful that they were all accurate! The airport in Dallas is super spread out and getting to the airport was a maze of exits and turn-offs.
We dropped off our rental car and my Uncle Petey (not really my uncle, but my godfather) came and picked us up. Ahhh!!! We could relax and let someone else take the wheel!
Once back at my godparents BEAUTIFUL home (they just completely remodeled the inside of their home and it is stunning!), we unloaded our suitcases and enjoyed a short rain-storm that blew cool winds and poured buckets of water on their already green backyard.
My Godparents spoiled us rotten – they took us to the most AMAZING Mexican food restaurant for dinner. They make homemade guacamole to your specifications right at your table…..cool, huh?
After dinner, we went back to their house, sat down and has us a good ol’ fashioned visit. We talked for the next few hours about everything under the sun – our children, our trip, what God was doing in our lives, good books, etc.
It was such a blessed time – one that, in reflection, really blessed my hubby and I immensely. It’s always good to have someone who’s gone before you speak truth and perspective into your current circumstances.
We slept well, and awoke the next morning to attend church. The pastor at their church has been preaching since I was a child, and it was so wonderful to hear him preach that morning.
After church, we went out for some pizza,where we asked a teen girl outside to snap our picture.
Then we were on to the airport. We made it to our gate with LOTS of time, and crowded into our seats with a full flight.
The ride back to Phoenix was a bit bumpy, and my hubby had a very painful stuffed eardrum, but we did make it safely, for which we are thankful. :0 As we disembarked from the plane, I turned to my hubby and told him how much I had enjoyed our time together.
With that, we turned the corner out of security, and into the waiting arms of my parents and children, who had come to greet us at the airport.
There were lots of big hugs and smiles, and lots of exclamations from K-Bug saying, “You came back! MY Mommy is back! MY Daddy is back!”
It was good to be with our children again.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Vote, Vote, Vote!
And I'm not talking about the upcoming election. This Reece's Rainbow ministry has just really been on my heart. Please visit their website, check out their ministry, and then PLEASE vote to help them win money for their Adoption Grant Project!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Our Trip, - Part 2, Day 2
One would think in a house of nine children that bedtime would be chaos. This is not true of the Presley family. Now while there was still a good deal of kids being kids, bedtime moved in waves, with the younger children going first (the oldest child is sixteen and the youngest is seventeen months). There was also someone assigned to kitchen duty who was cleaning up the dinner remains. The next morning (Friday) moved in waves as well – the younger kids woke up first, ate breakfast and started on their schoolwork (they are home-schooled). The older kids slept in, but then followed the same routine.
It was delightful to spend time with all of the children. We had a great time asking them about their hobbies, their favorite subject in school, and what they had been doing over the summer. They brought out drawings to show us, books to share, and performed their favorite tricks for us on the trampoline.
We would have loved to spend more time with the family, but we didn’t want to interrupt their school day, and also wanted to spend more time out and about in Norman.
Funny thing was, we weren’t exactly sure what that meant.
Although we had a set appointment with the realtor on Thursday, we hadn’t really planned anything concrete for the next morning. So, Friday morning found us on our knees together as a couple, asking God to literally guide our steps.
We decided to start with a cup of coffee for my dear hubby at Starbucks (he was starting to have withdrawals without his usual morning cup). We had thought to ask my sister the night before about where the closest Starbucks was, and we managed to find it without many problems.
It was, of course, over-run with college students, and as my hubby ordered his grande black coffee, I sat and watched all the different types of students as they came in for their morning cup-o-Joe (do you Starbucks workers ever call it that, Nickle-Pickle?)
With phone book in hand (the realtor had given us an extra one from his office), we looked at a few different churches and places of interest.
Before we had taken the trip, my dear hubby and I had looked at a few different churches that had advertised a need for a worship pastor. It turns out that one of the main ones we had looked at was only a block or two away, so we offered a quick prayer and headed over. We weren’t sure what to expect, with Friday being a day off for many ministers and office staff in Norman. To our surprise, we did find a very sweet secretary who offered to show us the church. She then spent time chatting and visiting with us about our trip to Norman. She asked for a resume’ and we sheepishly went to get the only thing we had. We had brought an incomplete resume’ with us, meaning only to spend some of our drive time with a pencil in hand, updating it in order to make changes once we returned to Phoenix. We gave it to her, and left with the words that we would pray about sending an updated resume’.
We then set off to try and find one of mine and my dear hubby’s old college ministry leaders that we discovered was working as a college pastor at one of Norman’s Baptist churches. Jeff Jimmerson was the director of the Baptist Student Union at Grand Canyon University when my dear hubby attended there, and he was also involved in the North Phoenix Baptist college ministry, where I was involved in my earliest college years.
We stumbled around a little before the church literally found us, and upon entering the building we were VERY surprised to find that Jeff had just arrived at his office (again, very rare for a Friday). He was also VERY surprised to see us, and after hugs and handshakes all around, we sat down to a great visit with this solid man of God. It was so incredible to hear his heart for the college ministry there in Norman, and we shared our hearts about how we felt drawn back to Norman, our own passion for working with students, and my dear hubby’s giftedness with worship. We ended our time together with Jeff’s praying with us and over us.
I will unpack that moment a little more in a later post – it was one of the most special parts of the trip for me.
With an exchange of e-mails, we filled our car with gas, our tummies with food, and headed down the road to Texas.
Here are a few pictures that we took while we were “on the road” (literally). ;) Just more countryside...
We made it safely to my Meemaw’s house around 6:00 p.m. that evening and enjoyed a home-cooked meal of roast, potatoes, gravy, squash, fried okra, jello salad, rolls, and more!
(If that sounds like a lot of food…it was.…..I ate WAY too much!) Here I am helping to fry the okra (under my Meemaw's watchful eye..:)
My Uncle John and his friend were also able to join us for dinner, and after a night of visiting, we headed to bed.
It was delightful to spend time with all of the children. We had a great time asking them about their hobbies, their favorite subject in school, and what they had been doing over the summer. They brought out drawings to show us, books to share, and performed their favorite tricks for us on the trampoline.
We would have loved to spend more time with the family, but we didn’t want to interrupt their school day, and also wanted to spend more time out and about in Norman.
Funny thing was, we weren’t exactly sure what that meant.
Although we had a set appointment with the realtor on Thursday, we hadn’t really planned anything concrete for the next morning. So, Friday morning found us on our knees together as a couple, asking God to literally guide our steps.
We decided to start with a cup of coffee for my dear hubby at Starbucks (he was starting to have withdrawals without his usual morning cup). We had thought to ask my sister the night before about where the closest Starbucks was, and we managed to find it without many problems.
It was, of course, over-run with college students, and as my hubby ordered his grande black coffee, I sat and watched all the different types of students as they came in for their morning cup-o-Joe (do you Starbucks workers ever call it that, Nickle-Pickle?)
With phone book in hand (the realtor had given us an extra one from his office), we looked at a few different churches and places of interest.
Before we had taken the trip, my dear hubby and I had looked at a few different churches that had advertised a need for a worship pastor. It turns out that one of the main ones we had looked at was only a block or two away, so we offered a quick prayer and headed over. We weren’t sure what to expect, with Friday being a day off for many ministers and office staff in Norman. To our surprise, we did find a very sweet secretary who offered to show us the church. She then spent time chatting and visiting with us about our trip to Norman. She asked for a resume’ and we sheepishly went to get the only thing we had. We had brought an incomplete resume’ with us, meaning only to spend some of our drive time with a pencil in hand, updating it in order to make changes once we returned to Phoenix. We gave it to her, and left with the words that we would pray about sending an updated resume’.
We then set off to try and find one of mine and my dear hubby’s old college ministry leaders that we discovered was working as a college pastor at one of Norman’s Baptist churches. Jeff Jimmerson was the director of the Baptist Student Union at Grand Canyon University when my dear hubby attended there, and he was also involved in the North Phoenix Baptist college ministry, where I was involved in my earliest college years.
We stumbled around a little before the church literally found us, and upon entering the building we were VERY surprised to find that Jeff had just arrived at his office (again, very rare for a Friday). He was also VERY surprised to see us, and after hugs and handshakes all around, we sat down to a great visit with this solid man of God. It was so incredible to hear his heart for the college ministry there in Norman, and we shared our hearts about how we felt drawn back to Norman, our own passion for working with students, and my dear hubby’s giftedness with worship. We ended our time together with Jeff’s praying with us and over us.
I will unpack that moment a little more in a later post – it was one of the most special parts of the trip for me.
With an exchange of e-mails, we filled our car with gas, our tummies with food, and headed down the road to Texas.
Here are a few pictures that we took while we were “on the road” (literally). ;) Just more countryside...
We made it safely to my Meemaw’s house around 6:00 p.m. that evening and enjoyed a home-cooked meal of roast, potatoes, gravy, squash, fried okra, jello salad, rolls, and more!
(If that sounds like a lot of food…it was.…..I ate WAY too much!) Here I am helping to fry the okra (under my Meemaw's watchful eye..:)
My Uncle John and his friend were also able to join us for dinner, and after a night of visiting, we headed to bed.
Ding Dong! The Microwave is Dead..
I read my friend Brandie's blog today and as she was talking about the death of her beloved crockpot, it reminded me of our own appliance issues....
The last few weeks, our microwave has had some "scary" moments of trying to fry itself and the contents inside with some supercharged surges of power.
In a moment where I thought the microwave was SURELY going to go up in smoke, we decided it was time to throw the eight year old microwave out.
We surprised ourselves by deciding NOT to get a new one just yet. One of our goals for 2008 has been to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n, and we thought that, besides possibly being healthier, that not having a microwave might force us to think of alternative and somewhat slower methods of meal preparation.
It's only been a couple of days, but I truly am surprised that we have adapted and overcome in most areas of cooking.
Just because the microwave is gone though, doesn't mean that I don't still enjoy modern convenience. I might need to invest in a bottle warmer now that I am having to heat up most of J-Boy's water for bottles on the stove. I think the bottle warmer would be easier and use less energy.
Also, we'd like to have a new toaster oven, as our old one is definitely on it's last leg, and having the smaller oven would, again, use less energy.
Right now, I'm enjoying the counter space and the slower pace with which I find myself moving around the kitchen.
Who knows...maybe the microwave is gone for good???
The last few weeks, our microwave has had some "scary" moments of trying to fry itself and the contents inside with some supercharged surges of power.
In a moment where I thought the microwave was SURELY going to go up in smoke, we decided it was time to throw the eight year old microwave out.
We surprised ourselves by deciding NOT to get a new one just yet. One of our goals for 2008 has been to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n, and we thought that, besides possibly being healthier, that not having a microwave might force us to think of alternative and somewhat slower methods of meal preparation.
It's only been a couple of days, but I truly am surprised that we have adapted and overcome in most areas of cooking.
Just because the microwave is gone though, doesn't mean that I don't still enjoy modern convenience. I might need to invest in a bottle warmer now that I am having to heat up most of J-Boy's water for bottles on the stove. I think the bottle warmer would be easier and use less energy.
Also, we'd like to have a new toaster oven, as our old one is definitely on it's last leg, and having the smaller oven would, again, use less energy.
Right now, I'm enjoying the counter space and the slower pace with which I find myself moving around the kitchen.
Who knows...maybe the microwave is gone for good???
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Our Trip - Part 1, Day 1
We set sail for our trip to Texas/Oklahoma this past Thursday at the o-so-lovely hour of 4:30 a.m. My Mom came over to start her time with the kiddos, and after kissing all of their sweet, sleeping heads (and choking back a tear, I admit), we left the house with my Dad driving us to the airport.
We quickly rushed through security, and found our gate to await what I had thought was a 6:00 a.m. departure. Looking again at our boarding passes, I found out that it was 6:45 a.m. I DON’T know how I had been wrong about our departure time for all of these weeks, but at least we were early instead of late for our flight.
The flight to Texas was smooth and wonderful. Our plane wasn’t even half full, and I got to sit by the window (my favorite!). I watched as Phoenix became nothing more than a sprawl of houses, swimming pools, and desert sand below me as we lifted off and away.
For much of the flight, we flew above fluffy white clouds that stretched in every direction like a sea of cotton balls.
Two hours later, we touched down in a world of lakes, trees, and GREEN grass as we entered the Dallas/Forth Worth airport. We easily departed the plan and boarded a shuttle bus that would take us to the rental car facility. Our first clue that we really WEREN’T in Phoenix anymore happened when the shuttle bus doors opened and our bus driver greeted us with a loud “HEY! How are ya’ll doing today? ”
Arriving at the rental car facility, we confirmed our reservation and picked out our “compact economy” car from a line of cars available. We decided on a spiffy Chevy Cobalt with a spoiler on the back…..I know, I know….we are SUCH rebels!
Within minutes, we were loaded and on the road to Norman, Oklahoma.
The three hour drive from Dallas to Norman was in-a-word……FABULOUS!!
The day was sunny and the world was green, green, green!!! Once we were out of the city of Dallas, we sped down the interstate past acres of trees, ponds, rivers, cows, and horses.
My dear hubby and I talked and laughed the entire way like two best friends (that are also parents) who understand the gift of being able to have an uninterrupted conversation.
We arrived in Norman around 3:30 p.m. My brother-in-law’s family still lives in Norman (even though my sister and brother-in-law do not) and they graciously offered to let us stay the night in their home. We checked in with them first and said “Hello!” to all NINE…yup…NINE of their kiddos….more about that later, and then headed out to keep our 4:00 p.m. appointment with the realtor.
Some of you know that a little over a year ago, my dear hubby and I came up to Norman, Oklahoma with the intention of seeing if it was a place were we wanted to move and live. My sis and her hubby were living there, and during our visit with them, we also spent time with a realtor looking at houses.
This was the same realtor from over a year and a half ago, only this time we just stayed in his office and visited with him about current real estate markets (in Norman and in Phoenix) and talked about Norman in general. The realtor is a great guy – very supportive and easy to talk to. After visiting with him for about an hour, we left in search of some food for our tummies.
The last time we were in Norman, we ate at this GREAT Mexican food restaurant that my sister and her hubby took us to. We couldn’t remember the name, but we could remember their phone number, so we called them and asked how to get there. Turns out we were right around the corner from it (not that anything is really too far away in Norman).
It’s called Tarahumara’s ( know…say that five times fast, huh??). They have an excellently large menu, are ALWAYS, always busy, and make their food fast, fresh, and with large portions. They give you fresh tortillas and a special cheese sauce along with the chips and salsa that are oh-so-good!
We asked a nice lady outside to take our picture. Unfortunately, it turned out a little blurry, but here it is.
After dinner, we took the time to just drive around Norman, mostly on the outskirts of town. The weather was around a calm 80 degrees, and as the sun went down, we drove and absorbed all of the wonderful countryside that we could. At one point, we pulled over and took these pictures.
We headed back to the Presley family house for a relaxing night of watching the Olympics, visiting with the kiddos, and falling into bed exhausted.
Tomorrow I’ll post more about the amazing Presley family and tell you all about the second day of our trip! Stay tuned!
We quickly rushed through security, and found our gate to await what I had thought was a 6:00 a.m. departure. Looking again at our boarding passes, I found out that it was 6:45 a.m. I DON’T know how I had been wrong about our departure time for all of these weeks, but at least we were early instead of late for our flight.
The flight to Texas was smooth and wonderful. Our plane wasn’t even half full, and I got to sit by the window (my favorite!). I watched as Phoenix became nothing more than a sprawl of houses, swimming pools, and desert sand below me as we lifted off and away.
For much of the flight, we flew above fluffy white clouds that stretched in every direction like a sea of cotton balls.
Two hours later, we touched down in a world of lakes, trees, and GREEN grass as we entered the Dallas/Forth Worth airport. We easily departed the plan and boarded a shuttle bus that would take us to the rental car facility. Our first clue that we really WEREN’T in Phoenix anymore happened when the shuttle bus doors opened and our bus driver greeted us with a loud “HEY! How are ya’ll doing today? ”
Arriving at the rental car facility, we confirmed our reservation and picked out our “compact economy” car from a line of cars available. We decided on a spiffy Chevy Cobalt with a spoiler on the back…..I know, I know….we are SUCH rebels!
Within minutes, we were loaded and on the road to Norman, Oklahoma.
The three hour drive from Dallas to Norman was in-a-word……FABULOUS!!
The day was sunny and the world was green, green, green!!! Once we were out of the city of Dallas, we sped down the interstate past acres of trees, ponds, rivers, cows, and horses.
My dear hubby and I talked and laughed the entire way like two best friends (that are also parents) who understand the gift of being able to have an uninterrupted conversation.
We arrived in Norman around 3:30 p.m. My brother-in-law’s family still lives in Norman (even though my sister and brother-in-law do not) and they graciously offered to let us stay the night in their home. We checked in with them first and said “Hello!” to all NINE…yup…NINE of their kiddos….more about that later, and then headed out to keep our 4:00 p.m. appointment with the realtor.
Some of you know that a little over a year ago, my dear hubby and I came up to Norman, Oklahoma with the intention of seeing if it was a place were we wanted to move and live. My sis and her hubby were living there, and during our visit with them, we also spent time with a realtor looking at houses.
This was the same realtor from over a year and a half ago, only this time we just stayed in his office and visited with him about current real estate markets (in Norman and in Phoenix) and talked about Norman in general. The realtor is a great guy – very supportive and easy to talk to. After visiting with him for about an hour, we left in search of some food for our tummies.
The last time we were in Norman, we ate at this GREAT Mexican food restaurant that my sister and her hubby took us to. We couldn’t remember the name, but we could remember their phone number, so we called them and asked how to get there. Turns out we were right around the corner from it (not that anything is really too far away in Norman).
It’s called Tarahumara’s ( know…say that five times fast, huh??). They have an excellently large menu, are ALWAYS, always busy, and make their food fast, fresh, and with large portions. They give you fresh tortillas and a special cheese sauce along with the chips and salsa that are oh-so-good!
We asked a nice lady outside to take our picture. Unfortunately, it turned out a little blurry, but here it is.
After dinner, we took the time to just drive around Norman, mostly on the outskirts of town. The weather was around a calm 80 degrees, and as the sun went down, we drove and absorbed all of the wonderful countryside that we could. At one point, we pulled over and took these pictures.
We headed back to the Presley family house for a relaxing night of watching the Olympics, visiting with the kiddos, and falling into bed exhausted.
Tomorrow I’ll post more about the amazing Presley family and tell you all about the second day of our trip! Stay tuned!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Leaving On A Jet Plane......
Tomorrow morning, my dear hubby and I will board a plane at 6:00 a.m. in the morning (which means we roll out from our driveway at above 4:30 a.m.)
We will be flying into Dallas, Texas and then renting a car and driving up to Norman, Oklahoma.. My sis and her hubby don’t live in Oklahoma anymore (they currently call South Carolina home), but my brother in-law’s family were kind enough to let us stay with them.
We’ll then drive back down to Texas to stay one night with my Meemaw in Weatherford, and then one MORE night in Dallas with my Godparents.
My parents are staying here at home to watch ALL of our kiddos (with some help from my dear hubby’s Mom as well). I must admit, I am already missing my baby boy, and I’m not even gone yet. My girlies will handle it a little better, I think, but I am going to miss all of them so much!
Does this trip have deeper implications for my hubby and I than just “time away” together?
Absolutely.
Do I know exactly what they are yet?
Nope.
I’ll hopefully have something to tell when we get back.
I’ve been super busy getting ready to go. Although I don’t count myself among the super organized, here is a list of things we’ve been doing to get ready to go.
TO-DO BEFORE WE GO –
5.Get Medical RELEASE FORMS for Kiddos
6.Get CHANGE (for tolls)
7.Get CASH (to use during trip)
8.Call in PRESCRIPTION to Safeway
5.Get ROAMING MINUTES added to our phones
6.Call Brandon – ask how to get to Mexican Food Restaurant
7.SHOP at Grocery Store
Sprouts –
Fruit
Veggies
Yogurt tubes
Cereal
Mac N’ Cheese
Ham
Fresh N’ Easy –
Lunch Packs
Pickles
Granola Bars
PB Pretzels
8.PACK
-Stacy –
white pants/ black shirt (wth pattern)
khaki capris/ black shirt
black kapris/pink shirt
long black skirt/shirt
bathing suit?? underthings
toiletries
medicine/vitamins
books/maps
We will be flying into Dallas, Texas and then renting a car and driving up to Norman, Oklahoma.. My sis and her hubby don’t live in Oklahoma anymore (they currently call South Carolina home), but my brother in-law’s family were kind enough to let us stay with them.
We’ll then drive back down to Texas to stay one night with my Meemaw in Weatherford, and then one MORE night in Dallas with my Godparents.
My parents are staying here at home to watch ALL of our kiddos (with some help from my dear hubby’s Mom as well). I must admit, I am already missing my baby boy, and I’m not even gone yet. My girlies will handle it a little better, I think, but I am going to miss all of them so much!
Does this trip have deeper implications for my hubby and I than just “time away” together?
Absolutely.
Do I know exactly what they are yet?
Nope.
I’ll hopefully have something to tell when we get back.
I’ve been super busy getting ready to go. Although I don’t count myself among the super organized, here is a list of things we’ve been doing to get ready to go.
TO-DO BEFORE WE GO –
5.Get Medical RELEASE FORMS for Kiddos
6.Get CHANGE (for tolls)
7.Get CASH (to use during trip)
8.Call in PRESCRIPTION to Safeway
5.Get ROAMING MINUTES added to our phones
6.Call Brandon – ask how to get to Mexican Food Restaurant
7.SHOP at Grocery Store
Sprouts –
Fruit
Veggies
Yogurt tubes
Cereal
Mac N’ Cheese
Ham
Fresh N’ Easy –
Lunch Packs
Pickles
Granola Bars
PB Pretzels
8.PACK
-Stacy –
white pants/ black shirt (wth pattern)
khaki capris/ black shirt
black kapris/pink shirt
long black skirt/shirt
bathing suit?? underthings
toiletries
medicine/vitamins
books/maps
Monday, August 18, 2008
Monday Moments - Everyday Life
I LOVE to smile at everyday life....like those moments when I dial a number wrong for a third-time-in-a-row (thankfully the young man who answered each time was patient in telling me, "There's STILL no Kathy at this number" .
I also love to hang out and laugh with my hubby - his off-the-cuff one-liners make me laugh ALL the time (his sense of humor was one of the first things I noticed about him...well, that and all of his totally shredding talent on the guitar! hee,hee!) Here is an example of one of our conversations that makes me laugh - he had an extra day off from work today, and this morning we were laying in bed when the alarm (and all the kids) went off shortly after 7:00 a.m.
Me: OK, who's going to get up, you or me?
Him: I vote both of us.
Me: No, I think since I got up with J-Boy at 3:00 a.m. and again to change his diaper at 6:00 a.m. that you should be kind and let me lay here.
Him: Well, since it's my day off (he's smiling wickedly at me at this point), I think poor Daddy should get to sleep in
Me: What about poor Mommy?
Him: Poor Mommy is rich in Christ....
Me: {SMACK} - that was the sound of me hitting him with a pillow
Just to let you know, he was kind and let me sleep an extra 20 minutes or so.
Life with preschoolers is also an adventure. Sometimes you have to remind yourself of the funny moments when you're cleaning up pee-pee accidents or being spit up on 10 times a day, but God definitely gives us unforgettable moments of humor with our precious little people.
K-Bug has a favorite library book right now called "Double Pink". I personally find the story to be rather odd, but she of course loves all of the bright pink artwork.
She has taken to saying she's "double-hungry" or "double-tired"...you get the idea. Last week at swim lessons we were talking about her swim coaches, and she asked if her Coach Adam (a nice young man in his late teens) was young or old. I told her he was older than she was, but younger than Mommy or Daddy.
She replied with, "Wow, that means Daddy is DOUBLE-OLD!!!!"
Some days he just might feel that way.... :)
My last moment comes from Miss Lorelin. The other day the subject of Christmas came up, and as we were talking about what happens at Christmas, etc. I asked her, "What would you like at Merry Christmas time?"
I expected her to talk about a fireman costume (she wants one SO badly after wearing one around at friend's house) or a Barbie doll.
Instead, she looked at me, and with a very serious expression in her blue eyes, said the most obvious three-year old answer -
"Presents"
Of course, Mom! :)
Well, I hear my son fussing, so I'm going to wrap-up for now. Blessings and Merry Monday to everyone!
I also love to hang out and laugh with my hubby - his off-the-cuff one-liners make me laugh ALL the time (his sense of humor was one of the first things I noticed about him...well, that and all of his totally shredding talent on the guitar! hee,hee!) Here is an example of one of our conversations that makes me laugh - he had an extra day off from work today, and this morning we were laying in bed when the alarm (and all the kids) went off shortly after 7:00 a.m.
Me: OK, who's going to get up, you or me?
Him: I vote both of us.
Me: No, I think since I got up with J-Boy at 3:00 a.m. and again to change his diaper at 6:00 a.m. that you should be kind and let me lay here.
Him: Well, since it's my day off (he's smiling wickedly at me at this point), I think poor Daddy should get to sleep in
Me: What about poor Mommy?
Him: Poor Mommy is rich in Christ....
Me: {SMACK} - that was the sound of me hitting him with a pillow
Just to let you know, he was kind and let me sleep an extra 20 minutes or so.
Life with preschoolers is also an adventure. Sometimes you have to remind yourself of the funny moments when you're cleaning up pee-pee accidents or being spit up on 10 times a day, but God definitely gives us unforgettable moments of humor with our precious little people.
K-Bug has a favorite library book right now called "Double Pink". I personally find the story to be rather odd, but she of course loves all of the bright pink artwork.
She has taken to saying she's "double-hungry" or "double-tired"...you get the idea. Last week at swim lessons we were talking about her swim coaches, and she asked if her Coach Adam (a nice young man in his late teens) was young or old. I told her he was older than she was, but younger than Mommy or Daddy.
She replied with, "Wow, that means Daddy is DOUBLE-OLD!!!!"
Some days he just might feel that way.... :)
My last moment comes from Miss Lorelin. The other day the subject of Christmas came up, and as we were talking about what happens at Christmas, etc. I asked her, "What would you like at Merry Christmas time?"
I expected her to talk about a fireman costume (she wants one SO badly after wearing one around at friend's house) or a Barbie doll.
Instead, she looked at me, and with a very serious expression in her blue eyes, said the most obvious three-year old answer -
"Presents"
Of course, Mom! :)
Well, I hear my son fussing, so I'm going to wrap-up for now. Blessings and Merry Monday to everyone!
LIAR...LIAR....PANTS ON FIRE!!
Yup, that's me....:(
The road to you-know-where is paved with good intentions, and truly I've had every intention of getting to my blog and updating everyone with the always thrilling moments in the Smith family. :)
So, no more broken promises. Just lots o' blog posts - coming your way.
The road to you-know-where is paved with good intentions, and truly I've had every intention of getting to my blog and updating everyone with the always thrilling moments in the Smith family. :)
So, no more broken promises. Just lots o' blog posts - coming your way.
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